For all of the pleasures of bespoke suits, there are downsides to them as well. For one thing, fittings take a lot of time. For another, the best ones cost a fortune. Now, of course, there are some people for whom the status imparted by a bespoke suit is important enough to justify the cost. The knowledge that one is wearing the most expensive suit in the room can serve as a kind of psychological armor. Of course, many have a genuinely physical need. The extremely tall, short, skinny or round, for example, often have dimensions that only a custom-tailored suit can accommodate. Fortunately for the rest of us, there are enough excellent off-the-rack suits that, with an alteration here and a cuff there, fit nearly as well as bespoke for considerably less money.
The name Brioni first appeared in 1945 when master tailor Nazareno Fonticoli and fashion designer Gaetano Savini opened one of the first men’s fashion houses in Rome’s central Via Barberini. The two partners named it Brioni after one of the most elegant resorts on the Adriatic coast. Its custom tailoring was a favourite haunt of Europe’s aristocracy and has remained a reference point for quality shopping to this day. Brioni’s Italian style expressed a new way of dressing for men immediately after the first world war. It was instantly accepted because it managed to unite renewal with a classic stylish cut. Interest grew as the Brioni collections went from one success to the next and enthusiastic buyers flocked to the fashion shows. Their first historic show was held in 1952 at Palazzo Pitti in Florence and soon Brioni became the first true ambassador of men’s fashion in the world.
The epitome of the power look, Brioni’s wide-shouldered, slim-waisted and sharply tailored suits ooze authority, making them favorites of the self-consciously stylish, from former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to Donald Trump. All that clout comes at a price, however: from $4,200 to $7,500 for “ready-to-wear” numbers in every conceivable material. This charcoal gray cashmere for Fall 2005 runs $6,000. Available at men’s specialty retailers nationwide and at Brioni boutiques in New York and Beverly Hills.

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